The Snow Wolf King had reached level nine through countless battles, yet even now, it couldnât fathom why this human had chosen such a tactic.
Under the same gravitational conditions, the Snow Wolf King would undoubtedly be far more agile than the King of Cloud Peak.
Ye Zhongming smirkedâthough with his bloodline activated, his face no longer carried its usual sharp handsomeness, instead exuding a cold, ruthless aura.
The Lightning Sand King arrived at the battlefield, treading upon swirling sand vortexes.
Even with its paranoid nature, the Snow Wolf King knew today would end in a fight to the death. Its fur bristled, transforming it into a spiked wolf.
This was clearly one of its offensive skillsâ it revealed its true power right from the start.
The raised fur slowly lifted from its body...
The sight was eerie. Fur that should have been attached to its skin simply detached, floating midair while still maintaining the wolfâs silhouetteâsomething utterly inconceivable.
Even Ye Zhongming, poised to attack, paused slightly, sensing the unusual nature of this move.
The fur swiftly drifted away from the Snow Wolf Kingâs body, gradually forming an entirely new Snow Wolf King, while the original one regrew fresh fur.
Two identical Snow Wolf Kings now stood side by side.
Had there been anyone from the Five Ring Moneyâs intelligence division present, they would have informed Ye Zhongming that this was the Snow Wolf Kingâs most infamous skillâTwin Lives.
Of course, this was only recorded in the Five Ring Moneyâs classified database. To the outside world, such details were top secret.
Ye Zhongming had no idea what the sudden doubling of the Snow Wolf King meant, but he decided to ignore itâhe would fight on his own terms.
The sheer gap in strength between him and a level-nine left him no other choice.
Standing silently, he observed the two Snow Wolf Kings while the Lightning Sand King launched its attack.
It spread its hands, struck the horns on its head, and two bolts of lightning instantly split toward the twin wolves.
The twisting arcs shimmered in a surreal pink hue, reaching the wolves instantly.
Neither beast moved. Instead, snowlotus flowers bloomed around them, intercepting the lightning.
Each wolf bore one.
At least for now, there was no discernible difference between the two.
The failed initial assault seemed to enrage the Lightning Sand King. With a soundless roar, it stomped the ground, causing the sand vortex beneath it to erupt in a storm of yellow grains, enveloping its body. Simultaneously, lightning surged from its armor, forming a thunderous sand sphere.
Then, without hesitation, the sphere slammed straight into the level-nine lifeform.
In terms of sheer audacity, the Lightning Sand King feared no level-nine.
Amidst the sand and lightning, the air itself crackled with deafening static.
The massive sphere crashed into the left-side Snow Wolf Kingâthe original, at least visually.
Both wolves howled in unison, their eyes unleashing a crimson glowâthe same Killing Red skill they had used against Nine Treasures in Black Dragon City.
Back then, Nine Treasures had been wounded by it.
The crimson light collided with the thunderous sand sphere, erupting in a blinding flash. Sand and fragmented lightning scattered violently, a shockwave of energy rippling outward.
The Lightning Sand Kingâs body reappearedâbut its sand and lightning were gone, its magnificent armor shattered, the once-crackling currents vanished.
It tumbled midair, a shadow barely visible amidst the residual energy. The sheer density of lightning and sand had blurred all vision.
Beneath the Lightning Sand Kingâs dark silhouette, a speck of red emergedânot the purple of its armor, but a vivid scarlet.
From the Snow Wolf Kingâs perspective, a red dot appeared, then expanded violently.
It was the tip of a spear.
By the time it occupied a third of the wolfâs vision, the dot had morphed into a blooming crimson flower, carrying apocalyptic force as it barreled toward both Snow Wolf Kings.
The wolf bared its fangs, conjuring a massive ice blossom to meet the crimson flower.
But unlike the earlier collision, this encounter was eerily silent.
The crimson flower shattered upon contact, its fragments adhering to the ice like parasitic petals.
The Snow Wolf King froze, bewildered.
The ice flower rotted under the red fragments a second later, crumbling uselessly.
The spear-tip reappeared, piercing through a gap with lethal precision.
At the Snow Wolf Kingâs level, ordinary weapons couldnât breach its defenses. Only supremely powerful skills posed a threat.
Yet this spear pierced its flesh.
Right below the neckâinto the thickest part of its chest.
Blood seeped out, scarlet streaked with silver droplets.
The second Snow Wolf King lunged, biting down on the spear and yanking it free, attempting to drag its wielder forward.
But the wounded wolf suddenly whimpered, twisting sideways.
At the same moment, a gunshot rang out.
Close. Dangerously close. Almost directly behind the Snow Wolf King.
An ice flower bloomed over its exposed flank, intercepting what could have been a battle-altering shot.
Ye Zhongming materialized there, Harvester Mimic-Shot in hand, having launched a point-blank ambush.
The ice shatteredâbut the bulletâs momentum wasnât spent. It struck the Snow Wolf King.
The massive body shuddered as the level nine beast howled in agony.
Still gripping her spear, Red Hair was dragged forward by the second wolfâs bite, crashing through the ruined ice flower. Unlike in Black Dragon City, where the shattering ice had dealt splash damage, this time, nothing happenedâlikely due to the red petalsâ prior corrosion.
Meanwhile, the Lightning Sand Kingâs body slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact.
All of this had transpired in mere seconds.
Ye Zhongming fired once, saw the wounded wolf twist toward him with unnatural agility, and knew he wouldnât get a second shot. The Snow Wolf King would be upon him in a blink at this distance.
He leaned back, vanishing into a dark energy gate.
The wolfâs claws swiped through empty air, failing to leave even a scratch on the gate.
Injured. Outmaneuvered. The Snow Wolf King raged.
Ignoring potential dangers, it charged headfirst into the gate.
If the King of Cloud Peak could enter, so could it.